good ole beckers clan leadership 101
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:55 pm
Ok, some asked for it, so i will write a little about clan leadership. Although this is of course for leaders, there are a lot of points everyone can do to make a clan great.
You need to keep in mind this is based on my personal experiences, and of course reflects my own opinions, others may differ.
For those who don't know me, a little of my background. When i came to this server ages ago (i still renember VOID104 mod
) i joined a then-new Navy clan named {HK} (for hunter killer), which was a multiserver clan which just expanded to this server. I rose through the ranks there, to first become a team leader of the pvp team in that clan, and later become the server leader on void for HK, which de facto made me clan leader here. The clan grew to become one of the most dominant clans on void, and at times was by far the biggest clan (with 120+ active members).
Later, our ways parted, and i founded the still existing saints clan. That clan was composed of the best pvp players, and legends still abound about that time
. So its safe to say i saw both sides.. quality and quantity.
So, how to start (or run!) a functioning clan?
-----------------------
1. How to start
First, you have some basic decisions and work to do.
-what kind of clan will you have?
it helps a lot if you can pin the basic idea of a clan in one sentence or two. Will you be pirates, navy, aliens, whatever? Will you concentrate on one thing ("we want high kill numbers") or will your clan be a diversive one?
-take some time to come up with some good lengthy descriptions
ppl are far more likely join a clan which is active on forums too, and which have some rich and detailed descriptions of them. You are more likely to join the "42nd sirius wing, a kusari fighter wing based in tohoku, fighting the pirate and alien invasion over there. We are special forces under direct command of the government...." than the "uhm, yea, i guess we are navy" clan.
-have a basic idea of what members you want.
Although humans come in all colours and shapes, you need to consider some basic decisions which will affect how you do things. The main consideration is: "quality vs quantity". Do you want a big clan, or a small force of hand picked members?
There is no "right" or "wrong" here. Both ways have their advantages. Big clans tend to be a bit more transient, meaning members join and leave on a daily basis. But they are fare less likely to be crippled by 2 members leaving. Besides, numbers offer safety for non-elite players too, and a combined show of force can yield a lot of result.
On the other hand, a small clan with well picked members stick together more tightly. There is a greater likehood of the same ppl playing together for a long time, plus veteran players are (usualy!) far less likely to loose their control and do something stupid (like breaking rules etc).
Of course, your clan will be necessarily most likely a combination of both factors... but you need to balance them between each others.
-Why is your clan different from existing ones?
Frankly speaking, if you can't answer that question, you'd better scrap the whole idea and instead join an existing clan. If you are just like another clan, with different tags, you are adding nothing new at all. Then better ask the "original" clan to join, or perhaps if maybe you and your buddies can make a new sub-group of that clan.
------------------------
2. How to grow
Ok, you got your clan set up, now you need some members to fill in. There are several ways to get them:
-Real life friends who play freelancer
If you have those, those are naturaly the first choice, and are the most loyal and dependable members.
- Look out for ppl who you think you need.
You want a pvp clan? PVP yourself a lot. Get yourself a reputation. Go to sparta, and show you can handle a ship. Most good fighters are far more likely to join a clan whose leader can handle himself, and who shows a cool head in a fight. If you need traders, check all the good tradelanes (not just the well-known ones) and notice who trades there. TALK TO OTHER PLAYERS!!! There is no easy way for handpicking, and i guess most leaders have their own way here.
If you need numbers, ask a lot of players. Look out for newbies who are looking for help. Renember, the noob of today may be the ace of tomorrow, with a little help and training.
There are two "no-nos" in this for me though:
Dont stick in NY and ask new players. Give them time first to discover some of sirius on their own.
Dont offer huge sums of $ for new players. That way you only get players who join for one day or so. Offer them knowledge instead, a small starting sum for a mediocre ship, and the possibility to do missions together for aditional cash. That way you can also have a look on how they behave a little.. and start them with a spirit of "doing together" (as below) right from the start.
-Accept not everything will work out
Make no mistake, wether you go for quality or quantity, you *will* pick up some bad apples. And ppl who you like very much *will* leave your clan, even for perfect well reasons. If you have a bad apple, give them a warning, and kick them out if necessary. If a friend leaves, dont be angry over it. Perhaps he wants to try something new, or whatever. Keep a friendly relationship, after all hes still the same person, albeit with a different tag. Perhaps he will even come back if he still feels welcome after a time?
-(perhaps the most important!) HAVE PATIENCE!!!!!
building up takes time. If you start a clan, dont expect it to be powerfull within a week. Time is on your side here.. the longer you hold out, showing some presence on the server, the more your clan is "imprinted" in the void memory. And the more likely ppl will join. (becoming oficial helps a lot here, of course).
---------------------------
3. How to run things
-lead by example
you cant expect your members to be something you are not. Know what made me the leader of HK relatvly fast? When our ppl (or allies) were in trouble, i didnt hesitate to gather all avaiable ressources, and go out and help them! (while a lot of others started to debate the pros and cons of interfering...). This with time got to the HK members too, making them among the more active players on the server.
-Be ready to delegate
This is a difficult point, because you need to trust someone a lot. But you won't be able to run everything yourself. you will be offline, on holidays, busy with other things. Choose ppl who are in charge when your not there. If you want, split duties: if someone is good at talking and enjoys it, make them head diplomat or head recruiter. If someone is a good shoot, make him a warrior or pvp trainer. If someone is a good leader, make him deputy, or give him his little own part in the clan (perhaps a own wing or something like that)
-you will make errors
This *will* happen, invariably. Try to learn form past mistakes. But accept them. And most important: dont blame your errors on someone else. PPL are far more likely to follow you this way.
-encourage others
Nothing motivates most beeings more than the feeling of beeing valued and supported. If someone comes up with a new idea, your basic response should be "give it a try" if it aint completely silly. If someone shows improvement: encourage him. Find new and interesting things for your members to do.
-do things together
This can't be overrated. You are in a group for a reason. Fly together, do missions together, trade together, scout together, fight together. If you trade alone its boring... if you are in a group, you can a) protect yourself and b) brag and talk endlessly about the good trades, which bar in sirius has the nicest girls (or apes...) etc etc. Same for everything else... missions are of course not too hard in freelancer, perfectly managable alone. But why not do them together with friends, covering each others but, and reeeallly showing the nomads that nomad1 aint alone their place anymore? If another player p*** off someone from your clan, hunt him together.
-"We"
directly related to the above... you need to get a feeling of common belonging to your clan. If your members talk about "we" instead of "I" you know you made a lot progress. Else you are just a group of individuals who happen to have the same tag in common.
-offer assistance
this can take many forms...offer an own clan board, where you deal out information (best trade routes, for example). If you have good pvp players, try to organize training sessions with them for the newer players. Make knowledge someone may have pass onto other members. Built up a "storage" ship, where you can put rare items, so new ships are set up faster (watch the 100 item limit!!!!!).
-keep it interesting
Nothing is more boring than nothing happening. If everything is peace and dull, give your players something to do. Make them hunt npcs to set up in the clan listing. Find some clans which would make good enemies in a war, and fight them. Even if you get a bloody nose, its usualy more fun than just idling around. And listen to your members, what they want to do! Maybe one has the perfect idea, of which you haven't thought yet?
-interact with other clans.
This doesn't mean just to shoot them. Be active, look for allies, for others who you may help. If you have your friends and enemies, action usualy comes around by itself, and makes for a far more active server than if everyone doesn't care about someone else. What for example gained the saints much fame is, we activly went out and looked for trouble to get us into.
-Don't pull ranks unless absolutely necessary
Simple: most ppl dont like to be bossed around. Of course, sometimes, esp. in a crisis, you will neet to pull rank to solve a problem. But basically, when you have to do, its already a little loss. If your members only follow you if you command them to, you are most likely doing something wrong. You need to understand, of course you are the boss of it all.. but the same time you are just a service man, offering certain services (leadership, suppport etc) to your members. And if your members dont want you anymore, you gonna have a dead clan very soon....(or a mutiny at your hands to deal with)
--------------------------
4. What to do as a member
This is what *every* member can do.
-Don't expect your leader to be unfailable
Simple: he wont be.
-See what YOU can do
If you just wait for your leader to order you here or there, you most likely will have some dull times. See what you can do, within the framework of the clan. Your clan has enemies? Great! Go and try to kill them when they are online. There are other clan members online? Do things together (as described in point 3)
-basically do everything you would expect from a good leader too.
-keep to the clans politics.
This is important too. You are member of a group. This offers a lot of advantages, but gives some responsibility too. Your leader depends on you, to help him with a lot of things. Your actions will reflect back on your leader and your buddies. Of course, speak your mind, and dont be afraid to. But sometimes you will have to trust your leader to make play interesting.
-if you see oportinities, take them!
You have a good idea for improvement? Discuss them with your clan members and leaders. Maybe no one thought of it yet?
---------
Geez, thats a pretty long post already... i will kepp it to that for now, maybe add something later on. As you may have noticed, leading is a complicated matter, which isnt easily explained in one sentence
You need to keep in mind this is based on my personal experiences, and of course reflects my own opinions, others may differ.
For those who don't know me, a little of my background. When i came to this server ages ago (i still renember VOID104 mod
) i joined a then-new Navy clan named {HK} (for hunter killer), which was a multiserver clan which just expanded to this server. I rose through the ranks there, to first become a team leader of the pvp team in that clan, and later become the server leader on void for HK, which de facto made me clan leader here. The clan grew to become one of the most dominant clans on void, and at times was by far the biggest clan (with 120+ active members).Later, our ways parted, and i founded the still existing saints clan. That clan was composed of the best pvp players, and legends still abound about that time
. So its safe to say i saw both sides.. quality and quantity.So, how to start (or run!) a functioning clan?
-----------------------
1. How to start
First, you have some basic decisions and work to do.
-what kind of clan will you have?
it helps a lot if you can pin the basic idea of a clan in one sentence or two. Will you be pirates, navy, aliens, whatever? Will you concentrate on one thing ("we want high kill numbers") or will your clan be a diversive one?
-take some time to come up with some good lengthy descriptions
ppl are far more likely join a clan which is active on forums too, and which have some rich and detailed descriptions of them. You are more likely to join the "42nd sirius wing, a kusari fighter wing based in tohoku, fighting the pirate and alien invasion over there. We are special forces under direct command of the government...." than the "uhm, yea, i guess we are navy" clan.
-have a basic idea of what members you want.
Although humans come in all colours and shapes, you need to consider some basic decisions which will affect how you do things. The main consideration is: "quality vs quantity". Do you want a big clan, or a small force of hand picked members?
There is no "right" or "wrong" here. Both ways have their advantages. Big clans tend to be a bit more transient, meaning members join and leave on a daily basis. But they are fare less likely to be crippled by 2 members leaving. Besides, numbers offer safety for non-elite players too, and a combined show of force can yield a lot of result.
On the other hand, a small clan with well picked members stick together more tightly. There is a greater likehood of the same ppl playing together for a long time, plus veteran players are (usualy!) far less likely to loose their control and do something stupid (like breaking rules etc).
Of course, your clan will be necessarily most likely a combination of both factors... but you need to balance them between each others.
-Why is your clan different from existing ones?
Frankly speaking, if you can't answer that question, you'd better scrap the whole idea and instead join an existing clan. If you are just like another clan, with different tags, you are adding nothing new at all. Then better ask the "original" clan to join, or perhaps if maybe you and your buddies can make a new sub-group of that clan.
------------------------
2. How to grow
Ok, you got your clan set up, now you need some members to fill in. There are several ways to get them:
-Real life friends who play freelancer
If you have those, those are naturaly the first choice, and are the most loyal and dependable members.
- Look out for ppl who you think you need.
You want a pvp clan? PVP yourself a lot. Get yourself a reputation. Go to sparta, and show you can handle a ship. Most good fighters are far more likely to join a clan whose leader can handle himself, and who shows a cool head in a fight. If you need traders, check all the good tradelanes (not just the well-known ones) and notice who trades there. TALK TO OTHER PLAYERS!!! There is no easy way for handpicking, and i guess most leaders have their own way here.
If you need numbers, ask a lot of players. Look out for newbies who are looking for help. Renember, the noob of today may be the ace of tomorrow, with a little help and training.
There are two "no-nos" in this for me though:
Dont stick in NY and ask new players. Give them time first to discover some of sirius on their own.
Dont offer huge sums of $ for new players. That way you only get players who join for one day or so. Offer them knowledge instead, a small starting sum for a mediocre ship, and the possibility to do missions together for aditional cash. That way you can also have a look on how they behave a little..
and start them with a spirit of "doing together" (as below) right from the start.-Accept not everything will work out
Make no mistake, wether you go for quality or quantity, you *will* pick up some bad apples. And ppl who you like very much *will* leave your clan, even for perfect well reasons. If you have a bad apple, give them a warning, and kick them out if necessary. If a friend leaves, dont be angry over it. Perhaps he wants to try something new, or whatever. Keep a friendly relationship, after all hes still the same person, albeit with a different tag. Perhaps he will even come back if he still feels welcome after a time?
-(perhaps the most important!) HAVE PATIENCE!!!!!
building up takes time. If you start a clan, dont expect it to be powerfull within a week. Time is on your side here.. the longer you hold out, showing some presence on the server, the more your clan is "imprinted" in the void memory. And the more likely ppl will join. (becoming oficial helps a lot here, of course).
---------------------------
3. How to run things
-lead by example
you cant expect your members to be something you are not. Know what made me the leader of HK relatvly fast? When our ppl (or allies) were in trouble, i didnt hesitate to gather all avaiable ressources, and go out and help them! (while a lot of others started to debate the pros and cons of interfering...). This with time got to the HK members too, making them among the more active players on the server.
-Be ready to delegate
This is a difficult point, because you need to trust someone a lot. But you won't be able to run everything yourself. you will be offline, on holidays, busy with other things. Choose ppl who are in charge when your not there. If you want, split duties: if someone is good at talking and enjoys it, make them head diplomat or head recruiter. If someone is a good shoot, make him a warrior or pvp trainer. If someone is a good leader, make him deputy, or give him his little own part in the clan (perhaps a own wing or something like that)
-you will make errors
This *will* happen, invariably. Try to learn form past mistakes. But accept them. And most important: dont blame your errors on someone else. PPL are far more likely to follow you this way.
-encourage others
Nothing motivates most beeings more than the feeling of beeing valued and supported. If someone comes up with a new idea, your basic response should be "give it a try" if it aint completely silly. If someone shows improvement: encourage him. Find new and interesting things for your members to do.
-do things together
This can't be overrated. You are in a group for a reason. Fly together, do missions together, trade together, scout together, fight together. If you trade alone its boring... if you are in a group, you can a) protect yourself and b) brag and talk endlessly about the good trades, which bar in sirius has the nicest girls (or apes...) etc etc. Same for everything else... missions are of course not too hard in freelancer, perfectly managable alone. But why not do them together with friends, covering each others but, and reeeallly showing the nomads that nomad1 aint alone their place anymore? If another player p*** off someone from your clan, hunt him together.
-"We"
directly related to the above... you need to get a feeling of common belonging to your clan. If your members talk about "we" instead of "I" you know you made a lot progress. Else you are just a group of individuals who happen to have the same tag in common.
-offer assistance
this can take many forms...offer an own clan board, where you deal out information (best trade routes, for example). If you have good pvp players, try to organize training sessions with them for the newer players. Make knowledge someone may have pass onto other members. Built up a "storage" ship, where you can put rare items, so new ships are set up faster (watch the 100 item limit!!!!!).
-keep it interesting
Nothing is more boring than nothing happening. If everything is peace and dull, give your players something to do. Make them hunt npcs to set up in the clan listing. Find some clans which would make good enemies in a war, and fight them. Even if you get a bloody nose, its usualy more fun than just idling around. And listen to your members, what they want to do! Maybe one has the perfect idea, of which you haven't thought yet?
-interact with other clans.
This doesn't mean just to shoot them
. Be active, look for allies, for others who you may help. If you have your friends and enemies, action usualy comes around by itself, and makes for a far more active server than if everyone doesn't care about someone else. What for example gained the saints much fame is, we activly went out and looked for trouble to get us into.-Don't pull ranks unless absolutely necessary
Simple: most ppl dont like to be bossed around. Of course, sometimes, esp. in a crisis, you will neet to pull rank to solve a problem. But basically, when you have to do, its already a little loss. If your members only follow you if you command them to, you are most likely doing something wrong. You need to understand, of course you are the boss of it all.. but the same time you are just a service man, offering certain services (leadership, suppport etc) to your members. And if your members dont want you anymore, you gonna have a dead clan very soon....(or a mutiny at your hands to deal with)
--------------------------
4. What to do as a member
This is what *every* member can do.
-Don't expect your leader to be unfailable
Simple: he wont be.
-See what YOU can do
If you just wait for your leader to order you here or there, you most likely will have some dull times. See what you can do, within the framework of the clan. Your clan has enemies? Great! Go and try to kill them when they are online. There are other clan members online? Do things together (as described in point 3)
-basically do everything you would expect from a good leader too.
-keep to the clans politics.
This is important too. You are member of a group. This offers a lot of advantages, but gives some responsibility too. Your leader depends on you, to help him with a lot of things. Your actions will reflect back on your leader and your buddies. Of course, speak your mind, and dont be afraid to. But sometimes you will have to trust your leader to make play interesting.
-if you see oportinities, take them!
You have a good idea for improvement? Discuss them with your clan members and leaders. Maybe no one thought of it yet?
---------
Geez, thats a pretty long post already... i will kepp it to that for now, maybe add something later on. As you may have noticed, leading is a complicated matter, which isnt easily explained in one sentence